The machines around her hummed softly as Pryvani gazed down at the prone figure laying underneath the massive diagnostic device in her medical lab. The screens around her continued to report what was no doubt useful information on the frail little human’s condition, but the fact of the matter was Pryvani didn’t really understand the significance of any of it.

What she did know was what Brinn was able to report to her. The young veterinarian had informed Pryvani that the human, whose name she still didn’t know and didn’t want to saddle with a nickname, was getting better.

Until she’d heard those words, Pryvani hadn’t understood just how much she’d been worried about the young human. She hadn’t realized how big the weight she’d carried was until it had been lifted from her shoulders.

Of course, as Brinn had cautioned her, he wasn’t free and clear yet. He was still unconscious and his health, while currently stable, could take a nosedive if there were any unforeseen complications present.

But, he was getting stronger. He was on the right track to recovery. This is what Pryvani kept reminding herself as she stared down at the weakened little body.

There was a high pitched chirp and a flash of blue light near the door, Pryvani was startled out of the trance she’d fallen into. Somebody was seeking entrance

She cleared her throat. “Come in.”

The door hissed open and Zara entered, looking somewhat sheepish. “Um… hi.”

“Zara!” Pryvani responded brightly, schooling her features into a welcoming smile. “Come in, what can I do for you?”

“Well I, uh, just came to see him.” The dark haired Titaness responded, pointing to the prone figure under the diagnostic machine. “Brinn told me about him and I just thought I’d come see how you- he! …was doing.”

Pryvani caught her slip of the tongue, but chose to ignore it for the moment.

“Thank you.” Pryvani responded sincerely. “I know I haven’t had much of a chance to say this, but I’m very grateful for all the help you and Taron have given me. I know you really didn’t need to do any of that.”

“Well… we do feel somewhat responsible…” Zara brushed her hair back from her eyes.

“You shouldn’t.” Pryvani shook her head. “This… this was a long time coming. You and Taron… you didn’t even light the fuse.”

“I suppose that was Trell.” Zara muttered.

“In part, yes.”

“Brinn told me you found him in her old quarters.” Zara nodded at the unconscious human.

Pryvani sighed wearily. “Yes. It makes me sick to think what horrors she might have put him through. It’s probably a miracle he’s even still alive- as tenuous as that status is, at the moment.”

“Do… do you suppose he’ll remember?” Zara asked, her voice dropping to a near whisper.

Pryvani’s heart fluttered. “I honestly don’t know what would be worse, if he’s lost his memory… or if he recalled everything she did to him.”

Zara didn’t respond, but Pryvani saw her shudder a bit at the thought.

“Was she always like that?” The heiress wondered.

“Trell?” Zara rolled her eyes toward the ceiling contemplatively, “I’m not sure. She was always a spoiled brat, but I don’t think any of us thought she’d turn out to be so… evil.”

“There weren’t any signs? No juvenile criminal behavior?”

Zara shook her head. “Not that I can remember. It’s possible she just never got caught. She’s certainly smart enough to do something like that.”

“Hm.” Pryvani sighed. “Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. She’s trapped on a penal colony and hopefully none of us will have to ever deal with her again.”

Zara nodded absently and carefully reached out a finger to stroke the arm of the unconscious human. “He’s going to be okay, Pryvani, I’m sure of it.”

Pryvani smiled sadly. “I hope so… I mean I know he’s getting better but…”

Zara smiled softly and shook her head. “No, not hope. I know. He’s going to be okay. He has you looking after him. He’s going to be okay.”

Pryvani nodded, taking a deep breath. “You’re right. I have to stay positive.”

Zara’s smile widened. “Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some paper work with the grant committee I have to file.” She patted Pryvani on the shoulder and turned to leave.

“Zara!” Pryvani called after her retreating form. “You know, you and Taron can stay here as long as you like.”

Zara turned around, a soft smile on her face. “Thank you.”

Then she left.

Pryvani sighed as the door hissed shut behind Zara. Slowly she turned her gaze back on her human patient. She hated how frail he looked. How unnatural. He wasn’t nearly old enough to be that weak. It wasn’t right. By rights he should be young and healthy and strong, not laid out on a medical slab fighting for his life after surviving who knows what tortures.

“Please be all right.” She whispered as her eyes began to brim with tears.

The continued hum of the machines was the only answer she received.

*.*.*.*.*.*

He opened his eyes and winced at the bright light that seemed to come from everywhere at once. Was this it? He wondered. Had he finally died after weeks of agonizing torture?

If the pain that wracked his entire body was any indication, no he had not. After a few seconds, his blurred vision cleared and he saw that he was laying on a soft pad made out of white cloth, and directly above him was a large black construction that appeared to be the size of his house. It was covered by blinking colored lights and made strange noises.

Next he looked down to examine his own body. He was unnaturally thin, but there was nothing new about that. What was new were the strange tubes that were stuck in his leg and… down his nose? Frightened he grabbed at them to remove them and-

“No, wait, don’t take them out.” A voice spoke from above him, but he was unable to see a face due to the strange black metal mass hovering above him.

“They’re helping to keep you alive, and I don’t know if I can put them back in.”

“Who’s there?” There was a nervous hitch in his voice that he couldn’t hide, as much as he tried to.

“Hold on a moment.” There was a cacophonous sound as the metal contraption that loomed above him was slowly pulled away, leaving him in awe of the strength it would take to move it.

Of course, what he saw next made that particular marvel seem downright ordinary.

He found himself gazing at a Goddess.

His heart rate increased and his mouth suddenly went dry as he beheld her beautiful visage. Sparkling blue eyes and a radiant smile, all framed by cascading locks of hair the colors of the ocean.

“My… my lady…” He breathed, barely audible. But she heard him perfectly. He snapped out of his reverie when he realized the state he was in. Dirty, disheveled, sickly. Certainly not someone fit to gaze upon such perfection.

“I… I’m sorry to have appeared before you, in a state like this…” he muttered, as he tried vainly to cover himself.

“Don’t be silly.” The Goddess spoke, her voice instantly having a calming effect on him. “You don’t know how relieved I am to see you awake, and that you’re alright.”

“How could I not be? You saved me from the demon, as I knew you would.”

The Goddess looked puzzled. “Demon?”

“Of course.” He replied. “The false one. The one who pretends to your form.”

“Ah yes. Her.” The divine being above him looked away. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Zhan, my lady.” He replied with a smile.

“And how exactly did you come to be here, Zhan?” She asked.

“That… That’s a long story…” Zhan muttered as he settled back against the cloth padding.

*.*.*.*.*.*

He stood in the doorway to his home, gazing up at the top of the mountain where she always came from. Every few days the Goddess who watched over them all would descend from her mountain home and walk among her subjects.

“I wonder what her home is like.” Zhan muttered contemplatively to himself. “I bet it’s amazing.”

“Of course it is, Mush head.”

Zhan looked around the corner to his home to see a dark haired young man standing there, carrying a bulging sack of apples over his shoulder, a roguish grin on his face. “You think a Goddess would live in some kind of hovel?”

“No, I suppose you’re right Irin.” Zhan laughed. “Still, I’d like to see it someday.”

Irin laughed and set the sack on his shoulder onto the ground. “Don’t be stupid. There’s no way you could survive that kind of a climb.”

Zhan’s eyes gleamed. “That sounds like a challenge…”

Irin blinked. “Oh no, I know that look. Are you serious? Nobody has ever even thought of climbing that mountain, let alone actually tried.”

“You don’t know that for sure…” Zhan pushed his golden bangs out of his eyes.

“Well…” Irin scratched his head in thought. “If they had, and survived, we’d sure have heard of it… so that means that if anybody has tried it, they’re dead.”

“Oh they’re serving the Goddess herself in Paradise.”

Irin shook his head. “You are on your own, friend. You want to get yourself killed, that’s your business.”

*.*.*.*.*.*

He’d been planning for weeks, but today was finally the day he was going to put his plan into action. Irin had called him crazy and obsessed and a host of other things before finally throwing up his hands and giving up… but Zhan was going to do it.

Word had come down from nearby villages; the Goddess was on her way to the city.

He watched from the gates of Atlantis, along with a crowd of other people, as the Goddess rode up the road towards them mounted on her magnificent steed.

Zhan was always in awe of the Goddess, but this time he was far more interested in her animal companion, because it was going to be Zhan’s ticket into Paradise.

It didn’t take long for the Goddess to reach the city. Zhan watched, heart beating furiously in his chest, as she tethered her mount to the pole outside the city. The massive creature bent its neck and began to eat contentedly.

Meanwhile, the Goddess strode confidently through the city gates. Zhan watched in awe as her enormous form passed alongside him, her steps made the ground tremble almost as loud as the cheering crowds.

And then she was past him, heading towards the temple at the center of the city. The rest of the crowd trailed in her wake and followed at a respectable distance.

Zhan, however, went in the other direction. He hefted his pack of supplies onto his shoulder and snuck through the gates as they began to close. With a pounding heart he approached the intimidating beast.

He craned his neck back as far as it would go, but it was still difficult to make out the creature’s head perched atop an extremely long neck.

“Maybe Irin was right. Maybe I am crazy.” Zhan muttered to himself as he cautiously approached the animal’s right hoof.

When he was certain that he hadn’t been noticed by the beast he slowly reached out and took some of the animal’s fur into his hand.

Reaching into his pack he extracted his climbing gear and began attaching rope leads and clips to the animal’s fur and the harness he wore around his waist. When he was satisfied he was as secure as he could make himself, he began to carefully climb the animal’s fur, unhooking and reattaching the leads as he went.

He had reached about halfway up the leg before he decided to secure his harness completely. He was, he reasoned, high enough that he was unlikely to be noticed (or irritate the creature he was tying himself to) and low enough that if he were to fall he might have a chance at surviving.

Not that he wanted to find out.

I had taken him some time to make it this far up the mount’s foreleg, so he wasn’t terribly surprised when he didn’t have to wait very long for the Goddess to return.

He wasn’t able to see much of her, only a flash of blue silk and tanned skin as she swung her leg over her mount’s back and hoisted herself up into the saddle.

Next thing Zhan knew, the world around him began to spin in a very disorienting manner. His makeshift harness was holding at least, but the animal’s walking pace was throwing him topsy-turvy.

His stomach roiled and at one point he did vomit. It fell to the ground below him and he only vaguely hoped no one was below. At the moment his main concern was keeping the rest of his insides where they were. He screwed his eyes shut, hoping that would limit his sense of vertigo.

It didn’t.

It seemed to go on for days, but he knew it had only been about a few minutes or so. He was fortunate that the Goddess kept her mount at a sedate walking pace, if she had decided to let it run at a full gallop –or even a trot- he was certain it would have killed him.

Fortunately after a few minutes his body was able to adjust to the motion and the ride became a lot less… unpleasant.

He finally managed to look around. The view, limited as it was, was pretty impressive. He could see the mountain range they were travelling towards rising into the sky ahead of them, and a vast meadow surrounded them on every side he could twist his head enough to see.

The world around him shifted slightly and he realized they were beginning to travel up an incline. As he looked around it became apparent that they had reached the foot of the mountains and were making the journey upwards.

Zhan’s heart pounded with excitement. Just a little while longer and he’d be smuggled into the home of the Goddess herself. What wonders would he see there? What glorious sights awaited him? What-

The beast stumbled a bit and Zhan was sent careening wildly in his harness. He heard a snap and with a sickening lurch found himself dangling from a single rope, swaying violently as the creature continued its ambling stride, completely unaware of the tiny creature clinging for life to its fetlock.

With a grunt and a curse Zhan tried to climb up the rope that was his only lifeline at the moment. He wasn’t entirely sure how that would help, but going up seemed like a better idea than the alternative.
He grabbed ahold of one of the emergency lines he had attached to his harness and quickly threw it into the mass of fur surrounding him, hoping it would be able to find purchase.

The Goddess must have been smiling on him, because the anchor somehow managed to grip something on the animal’s leg and he found his weight being supported again.

Although, he’d much rather she stop her mount, if it was all the same to her.

Apparently it was, however. Because the enormous beast kept right on walking as if it didn’t have a care in the world. Which, of course, it didn’t.

The same couldn’t be said for Zhan, however. He quickly braced himself on the leg he was dangling from and attempted to haul himself back up to where his perch had been.

It wasn’t easy, as each step the creature took sent him tumbling end over end. Again vertigo caused him to feel nauseas, but there wasn’t anything left in his stomach.

He was positive he was going to die. Irin had been right, he’d been an idiot. He was going to die either from falling when his lifeline snapped or by having his brains dashed out against the monstrous limb he was dangling from.

Zhan had just about given up hope when, suddenly, everything became still.

Cautiously, Zhan peeked open his eyes. They were indoors. Inside a massive room that looked big enough to house a whole city.

After a few moments the Goddess dismounted and began removing the saddle and other gear. Zhan tried to scream for help but his throat was too dry to make a sound. Instead, he carefully made his way down the leg he was hanging from while the beast still remained motionless.

After getting to the ground he tried to locate where the Goddess had gone but discovered she was nowhere to be found. She had left while he was still trying to make it to the ground safely.

Zhan took a moment to look around. He discovered that he was inside what appeared to be some kind of massive stable. Far away he saw large metal doors that were taller than the Goddess, he began walking towards these.

As he walked he began to notice something… different about himself. He felt lighter somehow. As if there was a bit more bounce in his step than normal. It was off-putting at first and made him stumble, but he managed to adjust to it eventually.

When he finally reached them he discovered that they were sealed completely shut and there was no way through them. There was, however, a small opening in the wall that was just big enough for him to slide through.

He entered a dark and dirty hallway made of metal. There was almost no light except for what managed to leak in through a series of slats against the wall. Seeing no other option, Zhan hefted his pack (which had miraculously survived the journey) and followed the metal hallway.

He traveled what seemed like hours before he finally found another crack big enough for him to squeeze through and out into daylight.

Or… what he thought was daylight. As he gazed up at the ceiling of the enormous room he found himself in, he discovered that a strange oddly colored light was emanating from panels in the walls.

“Wonderous miracles of the Goddess.” He breathed. It was then that it finally hit home. He’d done it. He’d actually managed to make it to the Palace of the Goddess. Alive!

Of course, now he actually had to find the Goddess.

But that would have to come later. Zhan suddenly realized he’d been running on adrenaline and not much else for almost the whole day. He felt his knees begin to buckle underneath him.

Zhan decided the best thing to do would be to go back into the strange metal tunnel and see if he couldn’t get any sleep. It was dirty, but he wasn’t certain there weren’t dangers for him here, and it offered at least a modicum of protection.

After he got a good night’s sleep, he would go in search of The Goddess.

*.*.*.*.*.*

“I think that’s enough for the moment Zhan.” Pryvani said gently as she covered the still weak form of the little human with a small cloth. “You’re still pretty weak and I think you should get some sleep. You can tell me the rest later.”

“Oh no, I don’t feel tired at all.” Zhan protested.

“It’s all right Zhan. That’s a good place to stop your tale for the moment anyway. Don’t worry, you can tell me the next part when you’re feeling better.”

“Oh. Well…” Zhan muttered, pulling the cover up to his chin. “If you’re certain you can wait…?”

“It will be hard to contain my curiosity, but I’ll manage somehow.” Pryvani chuckled. “Have a good rest Zhan.”

But the little human was already asleep.